


sandbox bullies

by liamneeson



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Single Parent AU, laxus is a kindergarten teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 07:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17824373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamneeson/pseuds/liamneeson
Summary: Laxus is a kindergarten teacher who romances single mom Mirajane. That's the tweet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Can you even imagine Laxus as a kindergarten teacher? Because it takes me three cocktails to do so. But when I do, it's magnificent and adorable. This big, burly man with a giant tattoo under his button up shirts talking about shapes and numbers and eating one of those cliché teacher apples? FORGET ABOUT IT. IM SOLD. This is for Ika.
> 
> The rest of the Rockabye series can be found on my ff.n

Jesus, kids were cruel. It wasn't the first time the thought had crossed Laxus' mind. Maybe before his surprising career in early childhood education took off, he'd never given much of a shit about the mannerism or general existence of anyone under 10 years old but now, with an almost regular exposure to them, he could say a lot of them were a nasty bunch. They were kids, he knew, and they  _might_  outgrow being bullies but it didn't make tolerating any injustice in his class any easier.

Yukino Strauss was a girl that was tiny in every sense of the word: a small child with a small voice and a small self-esteem. There were kids in every faction of his kindergarten that especially liked to pick on her and make her do their share of classroom chores.

Minerva, a chief in her austerity, was particularly troublesome in this regard. She had a rich father and thought she could do as she pleased and there would be no consequences. Minerva's unkindness ran the gamut from breaking Yukino's pencils to putting dead squirrels into Yukino's lunch box. Mean, mean, mean kid. More than Laxus cared for, he'd caught Minerva making young Strauss do all the cleanup work by herself as the assigned group just watched. Laxus spent a good fifteen minutes of his lunch with his ulcer simmering as he told them off and sent them to do their work.

"Yukino, come here," Laxus called from the nap corner just as everyone was vacating the class room. Yukino was always the last to go, always terrified of the shit she'd have to deal with in the playground. Laxus was just about at his wits end trying to figure out to put a stop to it without making more trouble for the girl.

Yukino approached, her steps short and quiet, about as unimposing as a gentle breeze. "Sorry, Mister Dreyar."

Laxus sighed. He hated the sad look in her eyes and couldn't bear to look at it. He sat on the ground with his legs crossed instead of crouching or bending because deny it as he might, his neck had kinks on top of kinks. He hated it much like he hated how he had to wear reading glasses orhow he had to take baby aspirin now. "You have to say no to them, okay? I know they're making you do it and they're being mean about it. I'm going to do my best to put a stop to that but you gotta help me, okay? You have to tell the mean kids no. You have to say no when you want to."

He'd sent her off and left the matter alone for now. He could see Yukino being joined by Sting from the other class, a sulking Rogue in tow. She'd be safe until the bell rang.

* * *

Mirajane tried to make things work. Sometimes, she told herself, that was the absolute best you could do. Maybe before she got pregnant and had to raise a child all by herself, she had time to do her hair or do more than wash her face for skincare or use fabric conditioner on her sheets. Maybe before she gave the boot to her scumbag of an ex, their combined incomes would allow them to hire some help. Maybe if she didn't insist on moving to the other side of town away from her family, she'd have a better support system. It was a lot of maybes. A lot of could've beens, too.

So far, Mirajane doesn't mind all those maybes and could've beens. She liked her new life here. God knew she needed this job paying an associate salary since having a child was only bound to get more expensive as the days passed. Working on a standard auditor's schedule was better, too. It was eight hours and you clocked out. No overtime, no fixed schedules. She made her rounds when she wanted to, as long as she clocked those eight hours in. Mira worked like a dog, but not enough to complain. She never gave herself the indulgence of self-pity, since she had bills on top of bills to pay.

She knew Yukino, too, struggled to adjust and it damn near broke Mirajane's heart to see her so, but she was confident they would find their footing. No great things happened when people stayed in their comfort zones, anyway. This was going to be a good move for them. No more drama, no more of just barely scraping by.

Mirajane watched Yukino finishing her dinner in breakfast nook. Did other parents just look at their child all the time and never get sick of it? Mira thought she could watch Yukino sleep a whole 8 hours, and then the rest of the day seeing every frown, every tentative smile, every glossy-eyed yawn and not tire of it. Yukino was a peach. Even from birth, she never gave her mommy much trouble. Now Mira only worried because Yukino wasn't making any friends in her class and the other kids were bullying her. Just today, Mirajane got an email from Yukino's teacher to meet at any convenient time tomorrow so they could discuss it. She'd make time for it, and they'd work on a solution for it. Her child was there for an education, not harassment.

"Sweetie, will you finish your beans so we can clear the table and do the dishes? You need to be in bed soon."

"I don't like beans, mama."

 _You and every other child in the planet,_  Mirajane wanted to say, but she shook her head instead. Yukino knew she couldn't get up until she cleared her plate. "Finish your vegetables or you're not leaving the table."

Mira could see Yukino's lower lip tremble. She was always so quick to cry when she thought her mother was upset with her. "I don't want to." Yukino said in a voice so quiet, Mirajane almost missed it.

"Well, you have to. I don't want to argue, baby. You know you need to eat your veggies."

For a while, Yukino didn't open her mouth again, and Mirajane thought that was that. But after a moment of what looked to be contemplation, Yukino spoke again. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"NO!"

Mirajane's eyes widened. She couldn't say she heard that word much from Yukino, who always did as she was told, despite not liking it. "Oh no. You're not going to sass me over veggies, missy."

"No! Mister Dreyar said I have to say no when I want to."

There was a time when Mirajane Strauss was called a demon for the expression of cold rage her face made when she was angry. Mister Dreyar was Yukino's teacher. She'd meet him tomorrow and give him a piece of her mind. Right now, she was too tired for any arguments. "I don't want you to yell at me again Yukino. That's not nice. Eat your beans and then get ready for bed." Mira rose from the table, collecting dishes for the wash and food for the tupperwares. By the sink, she could see from periphery Yukino stuff the beans into her mouth, chew ruefully, and chase it down with some water before leaving the table with a grimace.

* * *

She'd scheduled the parent/teacher meeting for after class so she could pick Yukino up and take her to the supermarket in one go. She'd met Mr Dreyar before, but not long enough to have a personal conversation like this. He always did look out of place among toys, alphabet posters and toddler-sized tables and chairs and that opinion didn't change now, as he let her into the classroom, to his desk smartly facing the floor to ceiling window that gave them a view of the playground where Yukino played with the two boys from the other class.

"Right, I know you're busy Mrs Strauss, so thanks for coming down." Laxus said the moment they were seated.

Mirajane appreciated the no-nonsense tone. "I'm not busy enough for this. You said you had progress on the bullying?"

"Yes." Laxus took a form out of his desk drawer, a carbon copy from the registrar's office. "I want to move Yukino to the other class. She has friends there, and they're good boys. They stick up for her and make her laugh. It won't be very awkward for her to transition into the new class with friends like that. The other teachers and I are on the same curriculum so she won't be behind or ahead. We've discussed it, and they're willing to take her in and keep an eye on her just in case."

Not quite expecting such an efficient solution so quick, Mirajane could admit that this was a pleasant surprise. "And the bullies?"

"I have more meetings with their parents this week to discuss punishment. Believe me when I say I won't stand to see the kids undisciplined, Mrs Strauss. I will update you on what actions have been taken as soon as the parents sign off on it."

Nodding, Mira stowed the reg form into her purse, ready to move on to another topic. "Last night, Yukino yelled at me. She's never done it before, so it surprised me. She didn't want to eat her vegetables and yelled 'no' and said that you told her to say no."

Professional enough not to say the 'what the fuck' that was on the tip of his tongue but not enough to keep the frown off his face, Laxus replied, "I never told your daughter to not eat her vegetables or yell at her mother, Mrs Strauss. I told her to start saying no to kids who toy with her."

All the fight just bubbling up in Mira's throat died down. That's what she got for being strung out and jumping to conclusions. "Oh. I suppose I didn't get the context…"

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry if she misunderstood. I just didn't want her to let the other kids push her around, Mrs Strauss. I don't teach my kids to disrespect their parents."

"It's miss."

Laxus barely heard the small admission. In that moment, she reminded him so much of her daughter, how they spoke low when abashed. "I'm sorry?"

"It's  _miss_ Strauss. You keep saying missus." Mirajane waited a breath to see the realization in his eyes. "I'm not married."

"My apologies."  _Damn it. Keep up, Laxus._  He squashed down the nervous impulse to scratch at the back of his neck again. "I didn't mean anything by it."

Mirajane nodded. A momentary silence passed before she spoke. "If you don't mind me saying so, you don't really look like a teacher."  _Much less a kindergarten teacher._

"I get that a lot. I have a good background in education. I used to think I wanted to teach Ukranian lit like my mom did. I guess the wind just blows you places and you have to ride along with what it has planned for you." Laxus shrugged, not particularly bothered about it anymore. "It's not like it was a very tough decision anyway. I like kids."

It made Mirajane smile, how easily he admitted to that. She disliked men who hesitated when proclaiming their fondness for children. "So do I. Do you have any?"

"No. My grandfather keeps reminding me how he wants to spend all his retirement money spoiling babies before he dies, but I think it's not my time yet." The memory made Laxus grin. Makarov just started being wheelchair bound three months ago and already he was making noise about how he was going to die without any great grandchildren.

"I think you'll be great at raising children."

"You'd think that, seeing as I teach them. But I go home every day feeling more out of my league trying to teach kids the basic concepts of human socialization through papier mache group projects than I did writing my dissertation on the Bukovyna Women's Movement." Struck by immediate relief and a sense of security, Laxus decided to end the meeting before he could say something stupid. "In any case, thank you for coming down today, Ms Strauss." He offered his hand as both of them rose. She shook it in a firm grip.

"Mirajane, please." She brushed wrinkles off her slacks and hefted her handbag. "I do appreciate all the help. I hope you'll keep me apprised of any progress?"

 _Mirajane._  It rang so lovely, even in his mind. "Of course. We can also integrate Yukino into the other class as soon as the paperwork gets done. The principal's administrator will be calling you about that."

When she smiled at him, he could feel his expression mirror hers. He felt too old to be experiencing this kind of pulse-raising when a pretty girl smiled at him.  _Get it together._

Thankfully, he showed her out without opening his big mouth and embarrassing himself. But one of these days, he'd have to figure out a way to ask miss Strauss out.


	2. a cosmic shift

Sometimes, all it took was one action to rearrange a galaxy. For Mirajane, whose Milky Way took shelter in the adorably round face of her six year old, Yukino, the shift felt cosmic.

She'd been worried about Yukino's transfer to another class. Her girl had already been through so much with the move; was it wise to make her adapt to more change when she barely settled into the last one?

The transfer to the other class proved to be a good one. Mira wished she knew it would be that simple. Kids weren't picking on Yukino anymore and she came home from school still excited about the friends she played with. Mirajane felt her heart was swollen with joy. The whole household was drastically altered: cheerful since they left the comfort of their old lives. It felt like things were finally, finally falling into place.

The decision to leave behind the town she grew up in, all the family and friends that supported her through her pregnancy and the first years of Yukino's life, had been a difficult but necessary one. But no matter how crucial, it had been painful. There had been challenging moments when Mira considered going back with her tail between her legs, were it not for the desire to give her child a better life. In the end, homesickness couldn't trump ambition.

These days, Mirajane would settle into bed exhausted, but warm thinking of how her baby had a bright future ahead of her, how she bubbled with giggles so often or how her aura radiated. Sure, things weren't perfect, but they might as well be.

Mirajane wished she had the foresight to take better care of herself, though.

She was supposed to take Yukino to the lake today but the tightness in her chest last night turned out to be a fever this morning. Yukino only looked disappointed for a few minutes before crying from driving herself into a pit of pity for her ashen-faced mother.

"I promise I'm fine, baby." Mirajane smoothed a hand down her daughter's cap of hair, a shade nearly identical to her own. "I'll just take a nap for a while and then you can help me cook lunch, okay?"

"Yes, mama." Yukino sniffled, her nose pink and running. It almost made Mirajane laugh. Kids had a tendency to be entertaining when they were being dramatic.

"You can watch TV for a while, but don't sit close to the screen."

Yukino scrambled off Mirajane's bed and sat by the foot of it in front of the television. When the History Channel blinked into Elmo, Mirajane let her eyes flutter close, falling asleep to a song counting in multiples of two.

**.**

**.**

Mirajane startled awake a couple of hours later to the loud ding of the doorbell. She saw Yukino bolt up from her sprawl on the floor.

"I told you that you can't answer the door without me, Yukino." Mirajane sat up and put her feet into the house slippers Yukino got for her.

"Don't worry, mama, it's only Mr Dreyar," Yukino told her as she exited Mirajane's bedroom.

Maybe it was the fever, but Mirajane took a while to remember a Mr Dreyar. When she did, she was speed walking down the hall, the stairs, while simultaneously taming her hair into something that didn't resemble pulled cotton. When she reached the landing, Yukino was already smiling up at her old teacher as he hung his coat on the hat stand.

Mirajane had kept correspondence with Mr Dreyar enough that she was on a first name basis with him. There was a lot to discuss about the transfer, meetings with the guidance counselor, reports of academic process, more meetings with the new teachers, and then some. Mira enjoyed most the unnecessary but absolutely appreciated status reports that Laxus sent her about how Yukino had crawled out of her shell and played raucously with the children in her new class.

Admittedly, it was a bit weird that he was here, in her house, apparently expected by her daughter. It wasn't a bad weird, though.

"You… look like you don't know why I'm here," Laxus said cautiously when he finally saw Mirajane.

"I'm sorry, I just woke up."

"Mama has a flu," Yukino said.

"A fever," Mirajane corrected. "Did I-?"

"Yukino called me on your phone. She asked me to make lunch for you because you were sick." Laxus couldn't quite stop his amused smile. "I assumed she told you about it, and that she had your permission."

"No, it's fine. I'm just sorry to trouble you." Going down the rest of the stairs, wishing she wore  _anything_  other than the most embarrassing clothing she owned (matching yellow Yoshi pajamas that she reserved  _specifically_  for days that had zero chances of anyone seeing them), Mirajane told herself to calm down. "I was gonna call a sitter for her," she said, feeling the need to defend herself for some reason.

Laxus shrugged. "Great. I normally charge an exorbitant forty bucks an hour because I have a PhD in babysitting. But we can discuss alternative payment later. I bought supplies for lunch." He shook the bag of groceries in his hand. "I hope you're not violently opposed to soup. It's the only thing aside from Hennessy that I know is good with fevers."

The laughter that bubbled out of Mira made her temple throb. She placed a hand on Yukino's head and lead Laxus to the kitchen. "If I'm going to pay a premium, I might as well make proper use of you, shouldn't I?"

There was a funny look on Laxus' face when he stopped by the counter, one with a brow raised and a small, smug tilt to his lips. "I suppose you should. I wouldn't be opposed." He began to sort out the groceries, and then helped himself to the utensils and equipment.

Mirajane probably shouldn't be so at ease with a guy she barely knew cooking in her kitchen. Red-faced (and definitely not from the fever), she made her way to the eat in area, intent to check her email for all the work she missed for the last couple of days as she listened to the quiet noise of someone cooking.

"Do you like celery?" she heard Laxus ask. When Mira looked up, she saw him addressing Yukino who sat on the counter beside his chopping board.

Yukino stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted face in answer.

"Too bad. It's good for you, so it goes in the pot," Laxus said as he continued chopping.

"You're putting an awful lotta green in there, Mr Dreyar," Yukino remarked, her face retaining the sickened look. "You said this was gonna be  _chicken_  soup."

Laxus turned to dump the cut vegetables into the chicken broth. "It's chicken soup  _with_  vegetables." Laxus' eyes flickered up to catch Mirajane's gaze for a second, before facing Yukino again. "Some crazy old lady yelled at me because you didn't eat veggies so I'm putting some in the soup. It's my grandfather's recipe and he used to make me eat it before he let me go out to play with my friends."

"Crazy old lady, huh?" Mirajane called out.

"Yeah. White hair, angry little face. Pretty, though," Laxus replied. He celebrated internally when it got his intended reaction, which was a smile.

"I have white hair!" Yukino declared with a beam.

"You sure do, kid. Wanna go set the table for your mom? This is gonna be done in a bit."

Mira tried to relax and not hover as Yukino retrieved three bowls from the dish racks. The small girl asked Laxus for help getting the pitcher of water in the refrigerator before bringing it to her mother with a glass. Yukino sat in the curve of the nook, her legs swinging under her.

"Thank you, baby. Isn't this very nice service? And all I had to do was get sick."

Laxus hefted the steaming dutch oven from the burner and brought it to the table. It smelled good enough to bypass the nausea.

"I didn't know I was so hungry until now. Thank you, Laxus. This is great."

Laxus placed a filled bowl in front of Mirajane. "Good. Because you're gonna have enough leftovers for a few days. This keeps really well in the fridge."

Mirajane didn't make it a point for any man she was interested in to meet her daughter (much less bring him home) unless she knew it was serious. So far, none had gotten past the third date, and yet here Laxus was, no date, but already making lunch with Yukino. It was kind of surreal, wasn't it? And funny. It seemed to Mira that it was Yukino who found Laxus first and brought him to her. This time, in a literal sense.

She ate and watched Yukino collect the peas from her soup on her spoon.

"Mr Dreyar?"

"Yeah?"

Yukino gave the bigger man a sweet, heart-melting smile before putting her spoonful of peas in his bowl. She giggled when Laxus made a play at being distressed.

"Now I gotta eat peas. I don't like peas."

"Why did you put them in the soup?" Yukino asked.

"Because we're not the ones sick, so it doesn't really matter if we like peas or not."

Mirajane grinned at him over her soup. "I don't like peas, either."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind next time."

 _Next time._  That sounded nice.

"Mama, can Mr Dreyar see Angel?" Yukino asked, already inching out of her spot in the banquette, soup untouched if not for the bits of chicken she fished out of the mix.

"If you clean the pen real quick, then yes. She wouldn't want her guest to see a dirty home. Be careful." Mira called out to her already sprinting daughter.

Laxus jogged his memory. He remembered an Angel from one of Yukino's art projects. "Her rabbit, right?"

"She begged and begged. I'm only human and I couldn't say no. I got her a pair."

"Understandable. Only a rock could say no to that face."

"I'm glad you agree." She studied his face for a bit, unabashed. She liked the way his expressions hardened, and then gave way to softer ones. "I've been trying to figure out why you look so different today. I just noticed that you're not wearing your glasses."

Laxus' lips fell into thin lines and his eyes expressed the fakest attempt at annoyance. "I doesn't go with my outfit."

His dry tone made her laugh. "Well, who really needs good vision when you're wearing a band shirt, right?"

Laxus made a not very subtle attempt to sweep his gaze over Mira. "I can see well enough."  _And the view looked terrific. Even in Yoshi pajamas._

The silence that passed between them was easy. For a very brief moment, Mirajane thought to herself that she could get used to this: having quiet meals with a gorgeous, educated man who got along well with her daughter. The idea made her blush before it could even pass. Hoping to clear the heat simmering under her cheeks, Mirajane cleared her throat and set her spoon down beside her empty bowl."So… about that payment."

"I was kidding. I don't really charge forty bucks an hour."

"Cool How about dinner, then?"

"Dinner as in you want me to stay a bit more and make you guys dinner?"

"I was thinking along the lines of me getting an actual sitter. We can go somewhere fancy. Maybe you can take me back when Yukino's in bed." Mira was sure her hand wasn't shaking when she reached for her glass of water and sipped. All things considered, she was being really cool about all this. She liked the man. Really, really, really liked him. The fact that he was a  _kindergarten_ teacher made her heart swell, and to make it burst was the fact that he saved her baby from bullies. He was efficient, kind and he knew how to cook soup. His ass was great in his jeans and his glasses, when he wore them, turned her on. Why shouldn't she, for once in her life as a mother, do something potentially reckless? "She's a very heavy sleeper."

Laxus looked like he was about to choke or go through several red-hued complexions at Mirajane's suggestions. "You're forward. I love it."

All Mira could do was smile proudly because Yukino chose that moment to come running back into the kitchen.

"The cage is clean!" Yukino announced, planting her palms on the table, looking straight at Laxus with the manic eyes only an excited child could possess. "Come see her, Mr Dreyar."

Laxus got up and took Yukino's proffered hand. The conversation wasn't over with Mirajane and he thrived off the promise of more.

"Angel has a friend named Racer because he's fast!"

As Yukino urged Laxus away, Mira settled back into the breakfast nook and smiled at the sight. When Laxus looked back to grin at Mira, she winked back, feeling, perhaps for the first time in a very long time, both frightened and thrilled to let someone into her life.


	3. keep me warm

At the ripe old age of 34, Laxus was still growing into adulthood. He couldn't exactly say he had  _things_  quite figured out already, but where he was wasn't such a bad place, either. He had a stable job, a sturdy roof over his head, and a great relationship.

All things considered, it would have scored him a pretty decent grade in the adulting report card.

Maybe he felt way over his head sometimes. Like, now. Often it felt like startling out of a haze and finding himself confused at how advanced his life seemed to progress since he started dating Mirajane, and therefore came into Yukino's life as a sort of father figure. For sure, it was great. Laxus liked kids, and Yukino was especially special. But as any bachelor was prone to, he couldn't believe he had the chance to do some of the stuff he was doing, like looking up recipes for healthy, homemade chicken nuggets, or assembling an IKEA Busunge for his girlfriend's daughter. It wasn't a bad sort of disbelief. It just all felt kind of surreal.

Kind of like how he just filed a mental sticky note to remind Mirajane to find a pediatrician closer to home. The one she still brought Yukino to was two hours from where she lived, because she insisted that she couldn't trust anyone with Yukino aside from the grouchy, old doctor they've been seeing since Yukino was born. He still practiced in the town Mirajane left behind, so it was quite a drive just to get checked up for asthma medication refills or to get Yukino's shots updated. Laxus didn't really mind driving them to and from every time Yukino needed a check up, but for the sake of practicality, like maybe if Yukino ever got into an emergency like the last time she came down with a bad fever, maybe it was best to consider a new doctor.

The GPS sounded off on their arrival. Laxus parked the car and waited for Mira to get Yukino out of the car seat.

Laxus hefted the small, yellow backpack that Yukino stuffed coloring books and crayons in, and then followed the mother and daughter out of the parking lot. That is, until Mirajane stopped dead in her tracks, and gave quite a surprised gasp.

Mirajane looked stunned. Laxus thought she almost looked terrified. The man smoking a cigarette leaned back against the trunk of car, and stared back with an air of disregard that was chilling. He wore scrubs under his windbreaker, and he had the same nose and mouth as Yukino. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was the father who had turned his back on Mirajane to continue his studies, despite the fact that she was carrying his child.

A jumpy Mirajane passed Yukino into Laxus' arms. She was too rattled to say anything, so she just let frozen feet carry her forward to meet the man who approached with not a care in the world. Laxus hung back enough that he couldn't hear their exchanged greetings, but near enough that he could see how no emotion moved the man's face despite coming face to face with the mother of his child after years. Mirajane never said much to Laxus about Yukinos father, just that he left her to continue his residency, and that he still lived in the city she left behind. Laxus never asked if they ever saw each other, or if the man offered any support for his daughter. Laxus had always just assumed that there had been none.

Shifting, so that he could hold Yukino more comfortably, Laxus watched Mirajane's entire posture stiffen as the man spoke. He didn't yell, but Laxus could tell that it was worse that way. The man seemed to be pressing every wrong button by the way Mirajane's body language got more and more defensive. The man's gaze flickered up to Yukino, then to Laxus.

Mirajane stepped into the man's line of sight and said something that made the stranger's lips flatten. Before he could get in another word, Mirajane turned her back on him and march back to where Laxus stood with Yukino.

Up close, Mirajane looked like a mess. Her eyes were glossed over and her face was pale. Laxus should have said something. He wanted to confirm what he already knew: that this was Yukino's father, and if Mira wanted him beat within an inch of his life just for putting that miserable look on her face. But something in the air prevented him from opening his mouth. He felt different from the brash man from his younger years. These days, there was a lot more of thinking involved before he ran his mouth.

In an almost desperate manner, Mirajane took Yukino from Laxus. She ignored her daughter's questions about the man ("Who was that, mama?", "Is he a doctor?") and avoided looking at her ex as she made a beeline to the hospital's entrance.

Laxus hastened to keep up with her pace.

* * *

In the reception area of the pediatrician's clinic, Yukino sat in her mother's lap, oblivious to how tightly Mirajane clung to her.

* * *

There was none of the light-hearted talk from earlier during the drive back home. Exhausted from the fight she put up during her shot, Yukino knocked out the moment she was strapped back into her car seat. While Laxus drove, he was pretty sure he was hearing Mirajane sniffle softly. Words still didn't seem right just yet, so he offered a reassuring squeeze on her knee.

When they got back to Mirajane's house, a re-energized Yukino asked to be taken out for sweets as a reward for her bravery against the needle.

Laxus could feel the fatigue from all the tension settle deep into his bones. He didn't know what to say, ofr if he even had the right for any input. Instead of forcing words he didn't have, he took Mirajane's hand after she shut the door, and pulled her in close enough so he could press his lips against her forehead.

"Talk to Yukino. I'll start dinner."

All that got out of Mira was a quiet sob.

He hated to see her so depressed. This was nothing like the Mirajane he knew, and he wished he was better equipped to comfort her. Laxus did what he knew, and kept himself steady, for her.

"Would you like me to leave, so you two can have some privacy?"

Mirajane shook her head. She leaned in closer, so she could breathe in the smell of him. "Stay, please. I'm going to need you later."

* * *

By the time Mirajane and Yukino came back downstairs, the stirfry Laxus cooked was already cold. While Mirajane looked like hell, a mess of swollen eyes and a red nose, Yukino couldn't have looked less bothered than she did.

Laxus said nothing, not for the lack of words this time, but because they didn't feel necessary.

Mirajane came to him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I hate to ask-" she began.

"Ask anyway."

"Can you take Yukino to the pastry shop? I'm- I don't want her to see me like this."

"When do you want us back?"

"Just give me at least five minutes by myself, so I can pull myself together."

* * *

At the cafe, Laxus ordered an Americano for himself, and an eclair for Yukino. He helped her up onto the tall bar stool and sat opposite from her.

"So," he started. Yukino gave him a questioning tilt of her head. Cute. But he shouldn't get distracted. "What did you and your mom talk about?"

Yukino took some time biting into her pastry. Some custard stained the corner of her lips, and absentmindedly, Laxus wicked it away with a napkin.

"She said that the man from this morning was my buy-logigal father, and that he chose not to be in my life. And that if I had any questions, I can always ask her. But she was crying really bad, so I didn't."

"That's it?" Laxus prompted.

"Mama cried  _a lot_."

That tore at Laxus' heart. "Did he say something bad to her?"

"Mama didn't say." Yukino looked up at her former teacher with eyes so wide and blue, Laxus felt like he would drown. "Why didn't that man want to be my dad? Did I do something wrong?"

_Ah,_  Laxus thought.  _What's the proper thing to say?_  Sure, Laxus had an opinion or two, but he couldn't just mouth off. Not to Yukino, who was bound to get confused. Shit, he needed to consult Mira. Actually, he needed a damn script.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Laxus said carefully. Whatever those reasons were, they weren't anything Laxus could agree with. Not if they meant turning his back on such a perfect mother and daughter. "I can't judge him for those reasons, because I'm not involved. But I do know that he's missing out, because you're the greatest kid I know."

Yukino fixed her gaze on him for a while, as if she was calculating if she should ask more questions or not. But before the nervous bead of sweat could roll down Laxus' neck, Yukino smiled. "Okay!" She seemed content enough, or so Laxus thought, until she opened her mouth again.

"Laxus? Do  _you_  want to be my dad? All my friends have dads."

Laxus choked on the coffee he'd just began to sip. "Ah, that's a little complicated." He cleared his throat to dislodge the bitter swill that went down the wrong pipe. "You know what, I'll talk to your mom about that, and I'll see what I can do. But hey, you know I love you, right?"

Yukino's grin was blinding. "Right!"

Laxus finished the rest of his coffee, mostly out of fear that he would be asked more questions he wouldn't or couldn't answer. It took Yukino two seconds to stuff the rest of her eclair into her mouth as soon as she saw Laxus was done.

"What do you say we go buy your mom some flowers? Would that make her feel better?" Laxus asked as he stood, before helping Yukino down off the bar stool.

As soon as she was on the ground, Yukino offered her hand for Laxus to hold, so naturally, it made Laxus' heart swell just a little bit more. There wasn't anything like Yukino trusting him so explicitly that made Laxus want to do something crazy, like ask Mirajane to marry him already just so Yukino could have the father she wanted.

"Yeah! Or maybe we can get her a tomato plant for the garden instead."

"Whatever you like." Laxus just wanted to get back already and finish up dinner, so he could talk to Mirajane about being his wife.

* * *


End file.
